1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to acquisition of a vertical section image, and, more particularly, to a method of measuring the thickness of lingual fur and acquiring a vertical section image thereof using interfering light, and an apparatus to perform the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
The tongue indicates health conditions of persons. For example, the tip of the tongue, that is, the lingual apex, indicates cardiopulmonary conditions, and the root of the tongue, that is, the lingual radix, indicates renal conditions.
In addition to the tongue, lingual fur can be used as an indicator of health conditions. The lingual fur refers to a moss-like growth generated on the surface of the tongue. The lingual fur includes epithelium tissues, lymph tissues, food remnants, etc., and may be in a variety of colors.
A health condition of a person can be indicated by the shape in which the lingual fur is distributed on the tongue, the color of the lingual fur, and the thickness of the lingual fur.
For example, when a person has peracidity due to overeating, little lingual fur exists, or a very thin white lingual fur exists, on the tongue. Conversely, when a person has typhoid, thick white or brown lingual fur exists at the center of the tongue. Such thick lingual fur may appear due to excessive drinking, gastritis, attack of fever, etc., and lasts for a long time.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional lingual-fur observation apparatus. In the figure, a communication terminal 110 photographs a lingual fur and supplies color information regarding the photographed lingual fur to an administration server 120.
The administration server 120 supplies the color information to a diagnosis and prescription server 130 and/or an Oriental medicine provider server 140.
The diagnosis and prescription server 130 is a server storing prescriptions corresponding to colors of lingual fur in a database. The diagnosis and prescription server 130 searches the database for a prescription corresponding to the supplied color information, and supplies the results, i.e., the corresponding prescription, to the administration server 120.
When no prescription is found in the database, the diagnosis and prescription server 130 notifies the Oriental medicine provider server 140 of “no prescription”. Then, the Oriental medicine provider server 140 receives a prescription directly from a doctor of Oriental medicine, and supplies the received prescription to the administration server 120.
The administration server 120 is supplied with the prescription from the diagnosis and prescription server 130, or the Oriental medicine provider server 140, and notifies the communication terminal 110 of the prescription. The user can obtain information regarding his/her health condition with the communication terminal 110.
However, the conventional lingual fur observation apparatus has a problem in that only the color of lingual fur can be observed, but the thickness of the lingual fur cannot be measured, thereby causing a problem in that a correct prescription corresponding to the thickness of the lingual fur cannot be provided. In addition, the conventional lingual fur observation apparatus can only supply an image of lingual fur seen from a top view, and cannot supply a vertical section image of the lingual fur.